Sometime later, he was shifted to Brendam Docks and worked alongside Cranky, where he was used to unload cargo from ships. Big Mickey once had to unload a boiler from a ship, but he accidentally swung it and knocked Edward onto his side.

Later, when Gator was leaving Sodor, Big Mickey loaded him onto a ship while Cranky was being repaired after his crane arm broke.

In the twenty-first season, he took everyone by surprise after not making communication with anyone for many years and became part of the dockside crew with Cranky and Carly.

Personality

As Big Mickey was said to be silent for a long time, mainly because Cranky has "never said a single word to him", very little is known about him (casting aside his known persona from TUGS), although it can be assumed that he is not the best at communicating, as Salty put it.

Technical Details

Basis

Big Mickey is based on a NW70031 WWII USN 20t Tower Crane. The Tanzanian Crane is another member of this class.

Livery

During Seasons 3-5, Big Mickey had cool grey paintwork, however, since the sixth season, he now has warm grey paintwork.

Behind the Scenes

Big Mickey in the TUGS episode "High Tide"

Big Mickey's original model was carried over from Thomas & Friends' sister show, TUGS.
He was the yard's biggest crane and was voiced by the late Timothy Bateson. Originally stationed at the Steel Company dock, he was later used by the navy. In the episode "Munitions", a fire sparked by the navy tug, Bluenose causes his dock to collapse, leading to him sinking (his final fate differs between the TV and VHS versions; in the TV version, Captain Star said he survived thanks to landing in shallow waters, while in the VHS version, no such narration is heard, and it is assumed that Big Mickey drowns and perishes). After the show's cancellation, his model was refurbished and modified with a warmer shade of grey paint, and his megaphone was removed.